Cuba lost large parts of its oil and food supply when its chief supporter, the Soviet Union, collapsed in 1991. It was disastrous for the whole Cuban economy, particularly agriculture. The small communist Caribbean country had to drastically reorganize its food system. Hand labour and oxen replaced machinery, huge gardens were created in cities and […] Read more
Stories by Daniel Winters
Breeders welcome open border
The expected opening of the U.S. border to Canadian cattle Nov. 19 is breeding optimism among purebred cattle producers. As he gave a show calf a buzz cut at last week’s Livestock Expo in Brandon, Chad Levesque of Chopper K Red Angus in Carnduff, Sask., said American customers bought 10 percent of his farm’s bulls, […] Read more
Livestock feed test critical to good weight gain
VIRDEN, Man. – Cattle producers who haven’t tested their feed and don’t have a clue about feed intake should not call John Popp. The Manitoba Agriculture beef specialist says there’s no way producers can know what kind of results to expect from a feeding program without good information about the nutritional content of their hay […] Read more
Keep near what’s dear, women urged
Life can be compared to a vessel filled with different items of varying importance, according to motivational speaker Arlene Jorgenson. To demonstrate, she placed golf balls, which represent the “big” things such as family, relationships and health, followed by beans and then sand, into an old jar. Each time she put in a new item, […] Read more
Getting the best calf price
VIRDEN, Man. – Wintering calves might be a good option for beleaguered cow-calf producers, says Michael Buchen, a Manitoba Agriculture business development specialist for finished beef. Fall calf prices are in the dumps and threatening to slide further if the Canadian dollar continues to rise. “If you’ve got some feed, and your wife and banker […] Read more
Hytek quits Winnipeg, buys Springhill
Hog production giant Hytek is turning its back on a slaughter plant planned for Winnipeg and instead will buy and expand the Springhill Farms killing plant in Neepawa, Man. Guy Baudry, vice-president of business development, said Hytek bought the Springhill plant for an undisclosed sum and intends to spend $35 million boosting the plant’s daily […] Read more
Expropriation questions land ownership
An expropriation case in Manitoba has sparked concerns over the sanctity of land ownership. In a recent ruling, the provincial appeals court allowed the Rural Municipality of Ellice to expropriate 288 acres of pasture from a St. Lazare, Man., farmer to create a tourist attraction on the site of Fort Ellice, a 19th century fur […] Read more
BVD quiet stalker in cow-calf operations
PIPESTONE, Man. – Bovine viral diarrhea, commonly known as BVD, can steal profits from cattle ranchers just as surely as a thief steals cash, a veterinarian told a recent beef production seminar in Pipestone. Once it gets into a herd, it cycles through from cow to calf each year, leading to outbreaks of scours and […] Read more
Feed prices, Canadian dollar gang up on cattle prices
With feed grain prices at record highs and the Canadian dollar looking set to stay on its lofty perch, cattle prices are likely to be low, said Gene Parks, manager of the Pipestone, Man., and Whitewood, Sask., auction marts. With the fall cattle run just beginning, 500-600 pound steers have stopped at $1.07 a lb. […] Read more
Processor sees gobs of green in Japan
A Manitoba company hopes to break into the booming nutraceutical and functional food market with Prairie Macha, a food ingredient rich in vitamins and minerals made from freshly squeezed alfalfa juice. Sun Prime Extracts of Russell, Man., will operate alongside Sunridge Forages, which for the past 11 years has been exporting 15,000 tonnes of timothy […] Read more
